Are the terrible twos real? Well, if we want them to be, maybe. Lack of vocabulary, grandiose demands, and a high need for independence equals an enormous task of patience for those of us navigating these toddler waters. Most of the time, I tend to think toddlers are just curious little people desperately trying to figure out the world.

Within seconds after birth as you hold your child in your arms and look into those precious eyes, you know it--this life is completely dependent upon you.

The power of love parents have for their children is a force unmatched. As parents, we have a built in capacity to love and shape the lives we have been entrusted with. We may have the best intentions when they are born to love them to the best of our ability, but unless we spend time cultivating what we value, our best intentions will fall short.

In this track, we go after the pressure we all feel to be PERFECT parents. As if just surviving as a parent wasn't enough, our culture can often make us feel like we're not doing enough or saying it right or should be doing this and not doing that.

This is the third of my three-part blog on the top priority of leadership. Every leader who wants to be led by the Spirit will be looking to produce certain effects in the people and in the culture where they are leading—in particular, increased levels of freedom and safety. In the last blog, I explored the nature of biblical freedom. Now I want to dig in to the idea of safety

These days, a lot of people seem to think that freedom means license to do whatever they choose—and even to avoid any negative consequences for their choices. It also seems to be a common belief that freedom is something we humans create for ourselves—that it is bestowed on us by society, won and defended by the military, or achieved through laws and politics.

Are the terrible twos real? Well, if we want them to be, maybe. Lack of vocabulary, grandiose demands, and a high need for independence equals an enormous task of patience for those of us navigating these toddler waters. Most of the time, I tend to think toddlers are just curious little people desperately trying to figure out the world.